Pocket Monsters Beginnings
by ShenValor
Summary: Join Red as he traverses the great region of Kanto and takes on the Pokemon League. He'll meet new people, discover new Pokemon, and stand up to a terrible criminal organization. A novelization of Pocket Monsters Red and Green.
1. A Pure-White Beginning

Well, it's time for a novelization of Pocket Monsters Red and Green. :) Let me tell you, this is gonna be big. For this, I'm translating a ROM of Red and using said translations for the story. I tried this before, but writer's block hit me hard. So this is my second attempt at it. And this time, I will finish it.

Also, just like the last fic, I use Japanese names for the Pokemon, loctaions, etc. If you have any questions about that or anything else in the story, feel free to drop one in a review or PM.

Now, at last, the story is about to begin! Dreams and adventures! The world of Pocket Monsters! LET'S GO!

Update: A few corrections and revisions added here and there.

~Disclaimer: Pokemon is a copyright of Nintendo and Gamefreak.

* * *

Ch. 1

A Pure-White Beginning

To the reader of this wonderful story, it is nice to meet you. Welcome to the world of Pocket Monsters. In this world, creatures known as- What? What are Pocket Monsters you say? Well, they are creatures that live in this world, obviously. They live in many different environments, often hidden within tall grass. Often time, people domesticate and keep Pocket Monsters, often abbreviated as Pokemon, as pets. Pokemon are also well known for their fascinating, yet sometimes mysterious, powers.

And it's this aspect that draws the attention of Trainers.

Pokemon Trainers are people who capture, raise and train Pokemon for competitive battles. Trainers often begin catching Pokemon at the age of ten, where they set out into the world to explore their homeland and search for these creatures. Of course, not everyone follows the ten-year rule. Competitions with these creatures are very popular in Japan, ranging from athletic events to fighting tournaments.

But the most popular of these competitions is the Pokemon League. Trainers from all over raise their Pokemon to enter this regional competition. Only those who have beaten the eight Gym Leaders of that region can enter and challenge the Four Heavenly Kings for the title of Pokemon Champion. Of course, these Trainers have to be the best in order to beat these terrifying masters.

Our story is about one of these champions. An eleven year-old boy with amazing courage and a loyal team who took on the Pokemon League and won. He is a selfless boy who gained fame in his actions and bravery, most of which did not even involve the league. He took down a criminal organization single-handedly, liberated a haunted grave site, and stood up to the most dangerous Pokemon in existence. Nobody could ever forget the boy with such a strange nickname.

_Red_…

We start in the grand region of Kanto, southwest of the capital city of Yamabuki. Situated there is the small hamlet of Masara Town. There were five houses there, along with a Pokemon Institute. Each house had a white roof, which gave the town its motto: "Masara is the Color of Pure-White Beginnings." This came from the fact that "massara" meant "brand new" and "masshiro" meant "pure-white".

Of these two-story houses placed here and there, one of them is the home of our protagonist, Red. Red, whose real name is Hanabira Satoshi, was a skinny boy with brown eyes and messy black hair. He got his nickname from his friends due to his trademark vest and hat he often wears. Like all other kids he knows, Red wants to become a Pokemon Trainer. He was supposed to receive a Pokemon two summers ago and once last December, but was unable to. This year, however, he was bound to receive one.

Red sat on the floor of his room upstairs that morning, playing a game on his Super Famicom he had received on his eight birthday. He was almost at the end of a level when his mother's voice floated from downstairs. "Red, can you come down here for a sec? I wanna show you something."

"Okay, Mom!" he answered back. A few seconds later, he shut his game off (after saving it, of course), left his room and was down the stairs. Situated in the living room table watching a movie was his mother, Hanako. He resembled her a lot, the only difference being that her hair was long. Clutched in one hand was a fork with some egg speared to it and in the other was an open newspaper.

"There you are," she said. "Come sit down and eat. Look at this. You might find it interesting." Thus Red sat down to a plate of eggs and pancakes and was handed the newspaper. Below the logo of the _Kanto Chronicles_ was an odd creature. It looked almost like a pink and blue bird made of many-sided shapes. It looked like something you would see on a Nintendo 64. The heading below the creature read "Polygon for Sale!"

"Wow!" Red gasped. "I can't believe it! They're gonna be giving away these little guys?

"Yep," said Hanako with a smile. "I knew you would like that. It says that the Tamamushi Game Corner just started to sell them as prizes. Think you can get one?"

Red scanned the article and sighed. "Fat chance. It's nearly ten thousand tokens just to get one. And each Saturday, they change it to 6,500. I don't think I can devote that much time on a slot machine just for a Pokemon like that, even if they do lower the price." He set the news article down and continued eating. As he did, he looked up to see what it was his mother was watching on TV.

It was a movie depicting four boys walking along a railroad. One was skinny; another looked like the school troublemaker; there was one wearing glasses, and the last one was a bit chubby. Red knew that this movie was American due to the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. Just as they had reached a large drop into a giant lake, his mother spoke.

"All boys leave home one day to go on an adventure. The lure of it is just so strong they can't get away from it. You know," she turned to look at Red with a sad smile, "I left home when I was ten. I was given a Pixie as my companion. We went on so many adventures together; exploring caves, battling giant Pokemon, we even fought a Gym Leader or two. But I stopped before you were born, so I could devote my time to you."

There was a pause before she spoke up again. "Sorry, Red. This movie works me up sometimes." Then she realized something. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Dr. Ohkido called. He wanted to see you."

"He does?" Red asked with a start. Dr. Ohkido Yukinari is a Pokemon Professor and an authority on the creatures in the Kanto region. He studies the habits and abilities of Pokemon here within his institute in Masara Town. Dr. Ohkido has also been known to help aspiring Trainers. Perhaps today was the day he is going to give Red a Pokemon.

"Get your shoes and your bag, sweetie, before you go." said Hanako. And with that, Red ran up the stairs and got on his shoes and hat. Just as he reached his backpack right by the door, he remembered something. His mother had put something in his computer.

So he went to turn on the PC within the corner of his room. A few prompts came up, but they all involved item storage. So he chose to "Withdraw Equipment". There was some ointment stored there. When he clicked to have it withdrawn, the small pedestal on the desk buzzed, and a purple bottle with a white nozzle materialized upon it. "Thanks, Mom." He muttered before pocketing the bottle and leaving the room once more.

When he arrived in the living room, he saw his mother at the door. "You have a safe journey," she said as she pulled her son into a hug. "Remember; don't bite of more than you can chew. Knowing some of these trainers, they can get to be pretty nasty. And be sure to write."

"I'll be careful Mom. And I promise." Red kissed his mother's cheek before leaving the house. He felt a bit bad that he had to leave home, but his mother was okay with it. He did promise to write. And as he stepped out into the grass towards the dome-shaped institute of the revered doctor, he made another promise, a silent one. He was going to make his mother prouder than she had ever been of him.

When he arrived at the institute, which was seated upon a hill next to the gate of this town, he noticed a few shapes within the windows. A few bookshelves, assistants moving here and there, and in the middle of the doctor's study was Ohkido Shigeru, the grandson of the esteemed doctor. There was no mistaking the spiked, ginger hair. His rather cocky face looked his way and broke into a sneer. He was caught. "Guess I have no choice then." Red muttered, entering the institute.

Shigeru, who nicknamed himself Green for some odd reason, was Red's age, younger by a month. He was the youngest of two children, who lives with his older sister Nanami and his grandfather. His mother had unfortunately passed away from some strange disease she contracted, leaving him in the are of Dr. Ohkido. He also used to be friends with Red in their youth.

The aides that were working looked his way and greeted him. Shigeru, of course, didn't. Shigeru was about an inch taller than Red, wearing an indigo sweatshirt and a gold pendant around his neck given to him by his mother. Red happened to notice the black belt on his waist with a holster; seems he was expecting a Pokemon too.

"Red!" he cried out with a tone of mock surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Your grandfather called me," said Red a bit irritably. As mentioned before, they used to be friends. But when they turned eight, things changed. They became rivals instead. It was their personalities that made their relationship what it was today. Where Red was nice and a bit down to earth, Shigeru was cocky, arrogant, and sometimes a bit mean.

"Oh yeah?" Shigeru retorted. "Well he's not here. You missed him about a few minutes ago. He left to answer an important call in Guren Town. Something about restoring fossils. Not that I care. I just want to get my Pokemon and leave."

Red merely nodded as he began to look around the study. A computer stood upon a table in the corner, along with two, flat devices. To his right upon a table were three Monster Balls. They resembled gashapon capsules, a red top and a white bottom, parted by a button in the middle. Red knew that within each of them was a Pokemon, each one raring to go. He turned back to his rival.

"You know when he'll be back, Green?" Red asked.

"Nope. And even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. Now scram."

And so he did, but not because Green told him to, it was because he could barely stand him. Ever since their school days, he Green had always been a thorn on Red's side. He remembered when they were younger, playing together and not fighting. But now things have changed. It was his mother's death that did it. He was no longer cheerful and carefree. Green turned inward, letting arrogance take the helm of his psyche.

While Red was thinking about his former friend, he had been walking downhill to the north. He was unaware that he was passing the gate of Masara Town, right into an open field of tall grass. And just as he absentmindedly stepped into it, a voice from behind shouted out to him.

"Hey! Wait! Wait up!"

Running pell-mell off of the coast of Masara, his grey hair untidy and his lab coat flying, was Dr. Orkido.

* * *

Whew. That was alot. But it covered 5 pages on Word. Anyway, reviews are appreciated. No flames.

~Notes~

-The geograhpy of Kanto here is based on the map of not only the game, but the one drawn when Pokemon came out as well. This is why there are five houses instead of two.

-Dr. Ohkido is nowhere to be seen before you try leaving Masara. I always assume he came in from Guren, which is why Green mentions where he went.


	2. Red vs Green

Here we go, Chapter 2! I worked hard on this (despite working on and off on this chapter).

Update: Fixed a few errors here and there, plus added a few things as well.

Disclaimer: Pokemon is a copyright of Nintendo and Gamefreak.

* * *

Ch.2

Red vs. Green

"Wait up!"

Dr. Ohkido had caught up to Red and dragged him away from the grass. His stern, sweating face looked rather relived. He couldn't blame him. Red knew that there were wild Pokemon out there, waiting for someone to pass so that they can jump out and attack. He knew this because he had been taken to school in Tokiwa City, and he and his mother had been attack frequently. Had he continued, his feet would have been bitten off by a wild Koratta.

"That was dangerous, Satoshi!" said Dr. Ohkido, trying to catch his breath. "Haven't you been taught better? Wild Pokemon live in tall grass. They'll jump out at you and attack!" Didn't that just go through his mind right now?

"I'm sorry, Dr. Ohkido," apologized Red. "I was distracted. I didn't realize where I was going."

"What distracted you?"

"Nothing important. So were you in Guren Town?"

Dr. Ohkido looked a bit happy. "As a matter of fact, I was. I received an urgent call from the Pokemon Institute down there and left in a bit of a hurry." He pointed out the carpet slippers he was wearing, very out of place with the rest of his clothes now that he was outside. "Apparently, they had just managed to revive a fossil they excavated about a week ago. It wasn't a hard process, really. First they place the fossil into a machine, then..."

For as long as he could remember, Dr. Ohkido has been somewhat of a grandfather figure to Red. He may sometimes come across as rather stern, but he was a fair and caring man. Ever since his father mysteriously disappeared, he had been in need of a role-model; someone who Red can always look up to. And Dr. Ohkido happened to be the right man to fill that position. He was very thankful for that.

"...and the fossilized Pokemon is brought to life, good as new." Dr. Ohkido noticed the slightly glazed look of Red's eyes. "Hey! Were you paying attention?"

"Y-Yes sir!" said Red.

"Hmm... You know, if you had your own Pokemon, you could fight wild ones out there... Speaking of which, why don't you come with me?"

"Sure." Red smiled happily as they walked uphill back into the institute. Not surprisingly, as they walked inside, he heard Green say, "It's about time, Grandpa! I'm tired of waiting!"

Dr. Ohkido looked slightly taken aback as they approached his study. "Shigeru? What're you… Ah! That's right. I called you in as well. Just wait a moment, ok?" He turned to Red, who stopped beside Green. "So, Satoshi, you know why you're here, correct?"

He couldn't help but smile broadly. "To be given a Pokemon."

"Indeed," said the doctor. "Now, I'm pretty sure you know what these are, correct?" He motioned at the three Monster Balls on the table to his right. When Red nodded, Dr. Ohkido continued on. "Good. As you know, each Monster Ball here contains a Pocket Monster. They can hold anything from the smallest bug to tallest serpent. Now-"

"What's inside a Monster Ball?" Green asked with a hint of curiosity. Red was surprised he would ask this. But, then again, he was curious to know as well. They were not disappointed "I'm glad you asked, Shigeru. Within a Monster Ball is a comfortable space for the Pokemon to rest in. Think of is as a beautiful environment that you wouldn't want to leave. Besides, it's impossible to escape. The Monster Ball that has successfully captured a Pokemon is sealed very tightly."

Both Red and Green liked amazed. With a smile on his face, Dr. Ohkido continued. "So, as I said before, you will be each be getting a Pokemon, making you an official Pokemon Trainer."

Red was so ecstatic. He was finally going to get a Pokemon! He had been waiting for this for quite a long time. Now that he came to think of it, he wondered which one he was going to get. As he thought of this, Dr. Ohkido went to his computer desk to look at an old picture.

"You know," said Dr. Ohkido, a touch of melancholy in his voice, "I used to be an energetic Pokemon Trainer. I was one of the best. And with my team of Pokemon, along with my two best friends, it was right to say that I was." Red saw within the picture three boys arm in arm. He saw a boy in the middle that looked almost like Green (this was probably the doctor); on his left was a timid boy with sandy hair, and to the young Ohkido's right was a red-haired boy with a pair of sunglasses.

"But alas, in my old age, I've been left with only three Pokemon. So, Satoshi, you can choose whichever you want." Red's eyes widened. Did he hear what he just heard? He himself was going to pick out one of the Pokemon! This was too good to be true. Green, on the other hand, looked disgustingly shocked. And so he voiced his opinion to his grandfather. "_What_? That's no fair, Grandpa! What about me?"

Dr. Ohkido snapped at him. "Shigeru, be patient! You'll be able to pick whichever you want soon." He looked apologetically at Red, as though he were asking for forgiveness for his grandson's behavior. "So, Satoshi, which one will it be?"

Red walked past his rival and stood before the table. He realized that he didn't look properly at it. Before each Monster Ball was a piece of paper with details on each Pokemon. There was even a picture of one on each sheet. The first contained what looked like a small, orange reptile with a fire burning on its tail. The second depicted a blue turtle with a large, swirled tail. And the final one looked like a teal, frog-like creature with a large bulb on its back.

Here were the entries for each:

**Hitokage  
****No. 004  
****Lizard Pokemon  
****Ht: 0.6m  
****Wt: 8.5kg  
****A flame is lit upon its tail from the time it is born. If it's taken to a quiets place, one could hear the weak sound of its tail burning. Due to its personality, it prefers hot things. Whenever it gets wet from the rain, the tip of its tail will begin to emit smoke. However, should its flame go out completely, its life will end.**

**Zenigame  
****No. 007  
****Young Turtle Pokemon  
****Ht. 0.5m  
****Wt. 9.0kg  
****After it's born, its back swells into a hard shell. If things become dangerous, it retracts its limbs into its shell to protect itself. When it retracts its long neck into its shell, it fires a vigorous water gun. It sprays water from the water's surface to take on prey. It can also shoot strong bubbles from its mouth.**

**Fushigidane  
****No. 001  
****Seed Pokemon  
****Ht. 0.7m  
****Wt. 6.9kg  
****From the time it's born, there is a plant seed placed upon its back. It gradually grows bigger, along with the body. It can stay energetic without eating anything for many days. This is because there are nutrients stored inside the seed on its back.**

Red kept looking through each of the papers, wondering which to choose. Hitokage (which was a Flame-Type) looked nice, but something told him it would be a bit hard to raise. Zenigame (Water) also looked like it would take a bit of effort. But with Fushigidane (Grass), he felt like that one would be easier to handle. And it looked very friendly too. Red knew that the most important thing for a Trainer to do is bond with their Pokemon. If he didn't do that, then what kind of person would that make him?

Thus he grabbed the third ball from the table.

"I see," said Dr. Ohkido. "So the Plant Pokemon Fushigidane is okay with you?"

Red nodded and asked "Is it okay if I give it a nickname?" When Dr. Ohkido nodded, Red began to think of all the good nicknames for this Pokemon. It was a Grass-Type, looked like a teal frog, has a bulb on its back, spots, red eyes… Plus its name stood for "mysterious seed" and the sentence "Strange, isn't it?" At last, he settled with the name"Mystery".

No sooner had he announced its nickname, Green leaned in and muttered "Well, I'll be taking that." and snatched the first Monster Ball containing Hitokage. This made Red feel a bit nervous. Green must have felt that if Red chose first, he could get the Pokemon who has a type advantage. Flame-Types can burn Grass-Types, after all. He secretly hoped that they wouldn't have to battle anytime soon. But knowing Green, that'd be the first thing he would do.

"Well, that's that!" Dr. Ohkido exclaimed. "Now that you have your own, you can take on any wild Pokemon that comes out at you. And you could go to Tokiwa City without any problems."

"Yeah, thanks Dr. Ohkido. I really appreciate it." Red turned around with a smile on his face and started to leave. He finally had his own Pokemon, someone who will help him against the Pokemon League. And someone who will be his best friend (he certainly hoped so.) He wasn't even a foot away from the bookshelves before the sneering voice of Green called out to him.

"Wait, Red!"

He turned to his rival. He was wearing that sneer again. Red knew what was coming.

"Yeah" asked Red. "What is it?"

"We both waited quite a while to receive our Pokemon," said Green.

"So?"

"Why don't we have a battle?"

Red just stared at him with an impassive face. Dr. Ohkido just went white. It wasn't surprising, really. Green had once told him that when he got his own Pokemon, the first person he would battle would be Red. To be frank, Red made the same statement, albeit privately. He would have loved nothing more than to wipe that incessant sneer off of his rival's face. It was with a smile that he answered "Ok."

"N-Now boys," said Dr. Ohkido nervously, "is this really the time to battle? Especially in here?" But his words fell on deaf ears. Both boys clutched tightly to the Monster Ball in their hands, waiting just for the right moment. Almost as though something broke between them, they both, as one, clicked the button upon the orbs and tossed them to the floor. In an explosion of smoke, the capsules split apart. And the Pocket Monsters stood where the balls struck once the smoke cleared.

They both let out their cries, which were the cues for both Trainers to give out orders. Mystery was told to hit Tsume (Japanese for claw) with a body blow while the other was told to scratch. And they obliged. Mystery charged at his opponent and hurled his body into the fiery lizard. Tsume regained his balance and aimed a swipe at Mystery, leaving a vivid red slash upon the frog-like Pokemon's side.

"Mystery!" cried Red. He hoped that he didn't hit a weak spot. But Mystery shrugged it off and was ready for his next command. Red thought for a moment. All this Pokemon knew were the techniques Body Blow and Cry (read from the paper it came with). Maybe if he told it to do the latter, it might make Tsume lower his guard.

"Okay, Mystery, cry!" He expected to hear it give out a imposing cry. He did not, however, expect the Fushigidane to make a cute growl. But Tsume look a bit unnerved all the same. Green just looked a bit dumbstruck.

"That's all you're gonna make him do?" asked Green, regaining his composure. "Scratch him again!" And so Tsume did. But the power put into it seemed weaker than before, as mystery barely flinched. The fight went on like this for a while, body's colliding, scratches dealt, and both Pokemon lowering each other's fighting abilities with cute little growls. But they both noticed that their Pokemon were on the brink of collapse. That's when Red called a time out.

"Hold on a sec," he said, and immediately went through his bag. It was empty. Then he remembered that he had put the medicine inside the pocket of his vest. While he pulled out the little bottle and sprayed the wounds on his Pokemon's body, Dr Ohkido looked fairly impressed. It could either be because Red came prepared, or that he was admiring both of their fighting abilities. Either way, he had a smile on his face.

It was too bad that Green's next words wiped it off.

"I'm gonna end this battle! Daimonji!"

Daimonji? Wasn't that a festival in Japan? And wasn't that the most powerful Flame-Type move? Green had to be joking. He _had_ to. But to everyone's horror, Tsume opened his mouth and took in a deep breath. Flames began to form in his open jaws. One second passed as he held it. Two. And upon the third second, he released a gigantic fireball at Mystery. Luckily, he dodged it. And so did Red.

"OPEN THOSE DOORS!" cried Dr. Ohkido frantically. One of the assistants opened the doors of the institute and allowed the fireball to escape. It flew past the houses and far off into the ocean. Unexpectedly enough, they saw the gigantic, flaming character "dai" off in the distance. They were lucky, or rather, Mystery was. Had that attack hit… That alone was the last straw for Red. He ordered Mystery to hit Tsume again, and upon impact of the body blow, the flame-tailed Pokemon collapsed unconscious.

Red should have been jumping for joy. He had just won his first match. But Green's choice of attack left him feeling a bit upset. That could have killed Mystery, had he not been quick enough to dodge it. Not only was he upset, he was a bit curious. How could Tsume know how to execute that attack? Unless... But Green would never do something like that...

"How could I lose?" muttered Green, who looked very shocked. "How was your Pokemon able to beat mine? Grass is weak to Flame!"

Red couldn't help but yell at him. "You idiot! It doesn't matter what the type is! I happened to have won because my Pokemon happened to be stronger, because I came prepared! And I didn't have to resort to sneaking into your grandfather's study and teaching them moves with a TM!" TM stood for Technique Machine. Upon hearing this, Dr. Ohkido looked appalled.

"Is this true?" he said, sounding as shocked and disappointed as he looked. "You sneaked in here and-" But a rebellious looking Green cut him off.

"So what if I did? They'll still be able to knock out any Pokemon if they wanted to! It's your fault for leaving this place open at night! Besides, you'd never allow me to do it!"

Red just shook his head, picked up the now sealed Monster Ball and tossed it at Mystery. He was immediately sucked in through a hole where the button should be. Dr. Ohkido yelled at Green. "You could have asked me for a TM after getting a Pokemon! I would have gladly given you one! But that was dishonest, Shigeru! If you were anybody else, I would take your Pokemon away!"

The look on his grandson's face was fiercer than he had ever seen. It was as though Green was asking if he would have taken Red's Pokemon, had he done the same thing. He turned to his former friend and told him, "You know what, Red? I'm going to toughen up my Pokemon. Make him stronger than yours! And next time, I will beat you!"

And, after calling back Tsume, he ran out of the institute with a cry of "_Sonja abayo!_"

* * *

That took quiet a while to put together. Please review. :) I appreciate any and all feedback, except for flames, of course.

Notes:

-The Pokemon entries are a combination of those found in Red, Blue, and Pikachu versions.

-Red and Green's choice of Pokemon are based on their artwork, which shows the starter they use. In my point of view, if a certain starter shows up a lot in each piece of art, then that starter is that protagonist/rival's signature Pokemon.

-Daimonji (or the Gozan no Okuribi) is a festival in Kyoto where five giant bonfires are lit up along the mountains of the city. And one of them is this character 大, "dai" meaning big, giant, or great. And it's that symbol you see whenever a Pokemon uses that move. To be honest, Daimonji translates to upper case, or capital letter. Fitting for this move, since it's a giant character.

-"Sonja abayo!" Somebody help me with that. It's a way of saying good-bye (abayo translates to this), but it's hard for me to translate. If anybody can translate that, it'd be very appreciated.


	3. The Pokemon Encyclopedia

Sorry it took so long. My uncle took his laptop to Virginia for work. And I suffered from writers block. Anyway, here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nuff said.

* * *

Ch.3

The Pokemon Encyclopedia

The people of Masara Town looked perplexed. A great, fiery character for "dai" appeared upon the volcano of Guren Island. How could that have gotten there, they asked one another. But the answer came from poor, portly Ben, who was tending Dr. Ohkido's garden. He looked up when the doors of the institute opened and witnessed a giant, ball of fire fly over his head. Ben could have sworn it grazed his hair, but they knew he was lying. His hair was so short, there was nothing to singe.

Back inside of the institute, Dr. Ohkido slumped into his computer chair and sighed. "I'm sorry for the way he acted, Satoshi," he said. "I know I taught him better, but… You know what happened, anyway."

"Should I go after him?" asked Red.

"No, there's no need. But I think you should get going, though. The whole of Kanto is waiting for you."

Red smiled. He thanked Dr. Ohkido for the Pokemon (and the ¥175 he received as prize money) and set off. The fact that he was going to see the whole of Kanto, along with battling many different Pokemon, seemed to make Red excited. But he wasn't nervous. No, that would come later when he faced his first Gym Leader. If his Pokemon were trained up, though, he would have nothing to worry about.

So in the few minutes that he left his hometown, traversing up the bumpy plain of Road #1, he felt a bit lonely. So he called out Mystery. He croaked a bit before looking up at Red. "Hey, buddy," said Red. "Did you enjoy that match?" He expected another cry from his Fushigidane. Nothing could have prepared him for what he heard next.

"Of course I did," said Mystery in a croaky voice. "Even though I nearly got burned."

Red fell back into a clump of tall grass with a yell of fright. He stared down at his Pokemon with a look of shock. How was it possible for this Pokemon to speak like this? No other Pokemon can talk except for Esper-Types.

"You… you talk!" said Red.

"No, I can't" said Mystery. "You can understand me. See, the bond between Pokemon and human starts with a battle. Whether a Pokemon wins or loses, it will immediately bond with his Trainer, therefore enabling it to be understood."

Red just sat there staring. "How do you-"

"Dr. Ohkido explained," was all Mystery said. He went behind his Trainer and nudged his back, helping him up. This was just a bit too much for him to take. He could understand his Pokemon? And all because he won a battle? He wondered whether Green can understand his Hitokage now. Red laughed as he envisioned Green running away from his Pokemon in terror. And so he continued.

Road #1 was fairly pleasant and calm, and barely anyone was walking along it. But just because it was empty did not mean that there were no Pokemon. Mystery was sent to fight a few Koratta, which were purple-furred rats, and a horde of Poppo (brown and tan birds). It was a bit fun until one of the rats bit him hard. That same rat ended up unconscious with mistletoe growing on his body.

One of the many interesting things about Pokemon is that as they grow and battle, they learn how to perform different techniques. They come in a wide variety of power and types. What Mystery did was create mistletoe seeds, a Grass technique which latch onto unwary opponents and drain them of their energy. Another thing Red knows is that their abilities are limited, only able to learn up to six moves at a time.

Red had just finished defeating another Poppo when a young store clerk approached him. "Yo!" he cried out. "I saw the fight. You just started training?"

"Yep," said Red with a bit of pride. "I got him today. His name's Mystery."

The clerk bent down and rubbed his head, making Mystery smile. "Well, he's really friendly. Anyway," he straightened up, "I'm a clerk from the Tokiwa City Friendly Shop. And I was gonna head over to Masara to give everyone samples of one of our products. Here." And he handed Red some ointment, which he pocketed right away. "Be sure to visit our store. We have tools ranging from Monster Balls to antidotes."

"Thank you, sir," said Red, and he and Mystery continued their trek until they reached Tokiwa City.

When Red was younger, he was amazed by how green everything was in Tokiwa city. There were the large trees that surrounded the buildings and most of the rooftops were painted green. It took him very much by surprise when he first came here for school. Nothing much has changed when he set foot in the city of green eternity, except, of course, his old school friends, who he greeted with much enthusiasm.

A young boy by the name of Rito shook his hand, brushing his blonde hair out of his face. "Hey Red! How's it going, buddy?"

"Good," replied Red. "I'm starting my journey as a Pokemon Trainer."

"Oh, wow!" cried a young girl named Rin. "A Fushigidane! How did you get one of them?"

"It was a gift from my one of my neighbors." Red didn't want to overexcite his old friends by mentioning Dr. Ohkido's name. He felt that he shouldn't flaunt his Pokemon like a trophy. After all, Mystery is his friend. "Say, do you guys know if the gym here is open?"

Unsurprisingly, their faces slightly fell. "Well," said Rin, "no, it hasn't. Nobody knows whether the Gym Leader will ever return. Some people even say he died," she added in a whisper. For many years, Tokiwa City has had a Gym dedicated to a man who uses Ground-Type Pokemon. Fushigidane could beat him if he could. However, the leader disappeared without a trace when he was born. Nobody, to this day, knows who he is.

"Well, thanks, anyway. I better go heal Mystery. See you guys later." His friends waved goodbye as he headed onward. Finding a Pokemon Center here wasn't exactly a challenge. It was close to the entrance of the city. He entered into the medical facility and was greeted by a kind nurse there. It was common knowledge that Trainers can have their Pokemon healed at Pokemon Centers free of charge. And Mystery came out of the center as good as new without any bruises.

The two began to walk around the city for a bit, talking to a few locals and asking about the Gym. But they gave the same answer: nobody's home. Red thought this was stupid. Maybe he can sneak inside to see if they're telling the truth. But, unfortunately, his way was blocked by an old drunkard, who begged anyone who crossed his path to listen to his "story". So he backtracked a bit and continued taking in the sights of the city.

After he had seen all he could in the lush city, Red decided to head back to Masara Town for a bit. On his way to the city's exit, he decided to take the clerk's advice and check out the Friendly Shop (which was relatively close to the Pokemon Center). Inside, he was greeted by shelves of merchandise and tools. He saw Monster Balls, needles, and even some rope here and there. Oddly enough, they were out of ointment.

Red approached the cashier and asked "How much are the Monster Balls?"

"Two hundred each," said the bespectacled man. "How many you want?"

"Ten, please." As he took a bag of the capsules, the cashier looked a bit doubious.

"Say, are you from Masara Town?"

Red blinked. How would he know that? "Yes."

The clerk smiled and reached under the counter. "Then you ought to know Dr. Ohkido. This came in for him." He came up and put a small parcel on the table. "Think you can send this to him? As well as my regards?"

~RGB~

The trek back was not all too eventful. Mystery grew a bit stronger. And he had managed to catch a Poppo, which he named Avis. With a new addition to the team, Red spent a good amount of time training her (she wasn't exactly strong when he caught her). By the time he finally returned home, it was getting close to dinner time. He waved hello to anyone who was outside and made his way into the Ohkido Institute.

"My, my," said Dr. Ohkido as Red walked in. He was sitting at his desk answering an email. "I wasn't expecting you for a long while, Satoshi. What brings you back?"

"Nothing, really," said Red as he handed the doctor the parcel.. "Only I have a package here for you."

"Oh?" He placed it on the desk and opened it up. He pulled out a Monster Ball, only it looked different than most others. The cap was black and yellow, with a red V on it. "Ah, yes! I ordered this Monster Ball from a friend of mine. Thank you, Red."

Red smiled. And so did Mystery. "I see my old Pokemon's grown stronger."

"Yes he is," said Red, patting his Pokemon's head. "I've been taking good care of him." His eyes wandered from Dr. Ohkido to his computer screen. He saw the whole of the e-mail he had received.

**To Dr. Ohkido Yukinari  
****From: Pokemon League HQ**

**Pokemon Trainers fight to raise strong Pokemon! The strongest Trainers gather here. Sekiei Plateau, the location of the Pokemon League HQ! Also, Dr. Ohkido, please see us sometime…**

The Pokemon League was in contact with Dr. Ohkido? How? Maybe he has a few of his colleagues there. But before he could ask, the doors of the institute burst open. Green was running up to them, looking excited and a bit tired. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" He leaned against the desk where only one Monster Ball stood to catch his breath. "I almost forgot. Didn't you say you had something else to give out?"

"Yes I did," said Dr. Ohkido as he got off his chair. "Satoshi, if you could stand by Green. I must speak with you both, and I must ask for your full attention." He did as he was told, ignoring Green for the most part, who surprisingly enough wasn't sneering for once. The doctor looked back at his computer screen, then back at the boys and began to talk.

"For as long as I have lived, I have always studied Pokemon. I've travelled to many regions and studied their behaviors, their abilities, many things. And for just as long, I've had a marvelous dream. You see these devices upon the table?" He motioned to the two red tablets upon his computer table. "They're called the Pokemon Encyclopedia HANDY505. These devices I've made are high-tech encyclopedias that automatically record the data of Pokemon. The more you record, the more pages of data there will be. So, Satoshi, Shigeru, I leave them to you."

Thus Red and Green were handed the Pokemon Encyclopedias. They were flattish, and when Red opened his, he was met by buttons, a directional pad, and a small screen. This was incredible. First he was given a Pokemon, and know he received a device to record their data? This was a bit too much. Without thinking, he pointed the device on Mystery. His entry that came up on the screen was the same he had seen on the paper he came with.

"Fancy, isn't it?" Dr. Ohkido smiled as Green took out his Hitokage and did the same thing. "It took a few days to create that. For years I have been putting that off." He sighed sadly and looked at the photo of himself and his friends.

"To make the perfect encyclopedia… with every Pokemon recorded in the world! That was my dream… But alas, I've become an old man. It'd be almost impossible to do it now…" Dr. Ohkido looked back at the boys with a smile. "That's where you boys come in. My job for you is to go out there into the world and record all the Pokemon you can find. Fulfill my dream on this poor old man's behalf. Go forth, and in no time, this work will go down in history!"

Now Red understood why he was given this Pokemon Encyclopedia. To make history… Red had always wanted his name to go down in history as one of the greatest Trainers ever. And now, with any luck, he might be famous for recording the data of every known Pokemon in Kanto. Perhaps even the world. "Thank you, Dr. Ohkido," was all Red could say, grinning ear to ear.

"Thanks, Grandpa. Just leave it to me!" Green turned to Red. He couldn't help but smile at his rivals face. _There's that sneer again_, he thought. "You know, I hate to break it to you, but I won't be needing your help in this. I'm perfectly capable of fulfilling Grandpa's dream easier than you."

"Now Shigeru, don't-" But he was cut off.

"I know what I'll do first? I'll ask my big sis for a map. And don't bother asking her for one, Red, causeyou'll be wasting your time!" Green laughed as her ran out with Tsue. Leave it to him to make things difficult. But Red knew his sister, Nanami. She had always been kind to him growing up. He knew she'd never let him go without a map.

"Er… I-"

"It's ok, Dr. Ohkido," said Red as he called back Mystery. "There's no need to apologize. And I promise you, I'll do my best out there." He smiled and said his good-byes as he left the institute. The cloudy sky was tinted a bit pink from the now setting sun. He figured he can return home for dinner and rest up for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a long day for Red.

After all, he had a long journey ahead of him.

* * *

I hate writers block. I really do. Reviews are welcome. No flames.

Notes

- The old man is indeed a drunkard. Nintendo of America deemed this inappropriate for a game targeted towards children and fixed it so that he was groggy from lack of caffeine. Then again, this was targeted towards children in Japan too. I guess it's just the standards here in the states.

-Normally, you can't get Monster Balls on your first trip to Tokiwa City. But I changed that for this story. Hope you don't mind.


	4. Tokiwa Forest

Sorry for another wait. My uncle took a vacation and took his laptop with him.

Also, a new character: Blue! She's the prototype female player in Gen 1 (who would soon become Leaf in FR/LG). I thought it would be appropriate to have her in the story here. I was gonna introduce here early in the chapter, but thought against it.

So, with that said, here's chapter 4 of our story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, Nintendo and Game Freak do.

* * *

Ch. 4

Tokiwa Forest

As it turned out the next morning, Nanami had a map ready and waiting for Red. Nanami, a pretty girl with long orange hair, saw Red as another little brother, and was always happy to see him. "Don't let my little brother get you down, Satoshi-kun" she said when she handed him the map. "He still hasn't gotten over you winning."

"Thanks, Nanami," said Red. "I ought to be going. Wish me luck."

"Don't worry, I will," she cried out from the window as he left her house. Red had already said his goodbyes to his mother and Dr. Ohkido, so he didn't have to worry about that. In fact, he wasn't worried about anything at all, not even another encounter with Green. This carefree feeling made the road ahead a little more enjoyable for him, especially since he had company.

"So when are we gonna fight a Gym Leader?" he asked as they walked into Tokiwa City.

"I don't know," answered Red. "I heard there's one in Nibi City. But maybe we should check if the Gym Leader here returned." But the Tokiwa Gym was still closed. Red sighed as he looked at the stadium-like building. It was no use waiting for it to open now.

Suddenly, he heard a yell coming from the west. It sounded almost like Green. But what could he be doing there? The western exit lead to the front gates of the Pokemon League, and nobody can pass unless they have badges. Red didn't really want to fight him again that soon, so he called out Avis and asked her to scope the area and see what he was up to. Minutes later, she returned, saying that Green was frustrated that another Poppo he had caught had fainted against an Onisuzume, a sparrow-like Pokemon.

"So he's training. I bet he hasn't even got his first badge yet." So Red and his Pokemon began heading north. The drunkard who had blocked the road yesterday, thankfully, was leaning against a tree, suffering from a heavy hangover.

"What type does this Gym Leader have," asked Mystery.

"Which one?"

"The one in Nibi."

"Oh!" Red took out a sheet of paper. It was a Pokemon League flier with details about the Gyms and the leaders. "It says here that Nibi City's Gym Leader is named Takeshi. He specializes in Rock-Types."

"Awesome!" Mystery said with enthusiasm. "Then he's gonna be no problem! I can take down Rock-Types in a flash!"

Red chuckled a bit. "But you don't have any-" But wait. He did. Mystery does have a Grass-Type move. Didn't Green sneak in to the Ohkido Institute to teach him that? But Red will only ask him to use I against Takeshi should Mystery not learn another Grass move.

"I take it you remember?" said the Fushigidane with a giggle. "I told you, it'll be easy to beat him! Say, is it me, or is it getting darker a lot sooner than it should?"

Red managed to get a better look of his surroundings. The trees were very abundant here Insects were crawling and buzzing here and there. And a few boys wearing straw hats and carrying nets were running around. They had stepped into Tokiwa Forest without even realizing it.

An old fear crept up into Red's mind. There were a few poisonous bugs here in Tokiwa Forest. Each of them has their own stinger. When he was little, he was attacked by a Spear (a poisonous bee with two large stings for hands) and needed to be hospitalized. He couldn't bear to think of seeing another one. And even if he did, he could take it out with Mystery and Avis. With this comforting though, he began trudging through the forest, a Monster Ball in one hand and the Pokemon Encyclopedia in the other.

Earlier today, he had used his Pokemon Encyclopedia (often called the Zukan) on his own Pokemon, along with any other he met. He learned that Poppos (Small Bird Pokemon, 0.3m, 1.8k) are docile in nature, preferring not to fight. They also protect themselves by throwing sand with their wings. This seemed very interesting. Red knew that this project was going to be very insightful for him.

"All right!" A squeaky voice somewhere nearby caught Red's attention. When he and his Pokemon turned, they saw a young bug-catcher stumbling his way over "You have Pokemon! You wanna battle?"

"Er… sure," said Red. Who was he to deny this kid a Pokemon battle? He decided to go a bit easy on him by sending Avis to fight. The boy threw his Monster Ball, revealing a bright orange caterpillar with a stinger on its head. Beedle. Red shuddered a bit, but kept his cool.

"Stir up some wind, Avis!" ordered Red. Avis flapped her wings rather fast until a bundle of wind was swirling before her. She then sent it at the hairy bug, which struck hard.

"Sting it!" squeaked the boy. The Beedle leaped into the air and aimed its sharp sting at Avis. The bird flew out of the way and repeated her attack, knocking it out with ease. "Blast it! Return!" He called back his Beedle and sent out Caterpy, a green caterpillar with an odd red horn and (mercifully) free of poison. Red swapped Poppo out for Fushigidane and started fighting the boy's bug.

After a few minutes (and disentangling himself from the Caterpy's silk that missed Mystery), he won against the boy. "I guess my Caterpy wasn't that good…"

"Hey, cheer up," reassured Red. "Just train up your Pokemon. They get stronger when you do." Before Red walked off, the boy handed him some money as a prize.

Deeper and deeper he went, not knowing where the exit to the forest was. Occasionally, he had to fend off some bugs that sprang out from the grass. It wasn't all too easy, however. One of the Beedles had jabbed its stinger against Avis's side and poisoned her. Each second that went by, Avis shuddered in pain. And Red didn't have a single antidote with him. Luckily, he found a syringe of it lying around and injected it into her. She was cured of her poison.

Though mere minutes passed, it felt almost like hours. How long had he been going through the forest? He had no watch on him, so he wouldn't know. The forest was becoming a bit more eerie by the second, especially when he felt as though he was being watched. Red stopped in his tracks when he heard a twig snap nearby. Mystery's ears perked up, trying to sense what was nearby.

"What do you think it is?" whispered Mystery.

Red strained his ears as hard as he could while scoping his surroundings. No Caterpy or Beedle could snap a twig that loudly. "I don't know. It's probably a Trainer or- _argh!_"

A net fell over him. He couldn't move. As he struggled loose, a female voice said, "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?"

"No! You caught me, how can I not be?" muttered Red.

The girl went in front of him and took the net off. She looked to be about his age with a kind face, a long sheet brown hair running down her back. Her appearance looked very out place in the forest, what with the black dress that stopped above her knees, her slippers, and gloves very unlike Red's. "I'm sorry," she said. "I thought you were a rare Pokemon. See, my eyesight is horrible. And I forgot to put my contacts on this morning."

Red harrumphed. "Well, what Pokemon wears a hat and vest? Anyway, what're you doing here?"

"Me? I'm on my way to Dr. Ohkido in Masara Town. My mom called and asked if he had any Pokemon to give away. I take it you're from Masara Town?" she added as she looked down at Mystery.

"I am. My name is Satoshi. You can call me Red."

The girl looked back up at him and smiled. "I'm Ayako. Blue if you like. I'm also looking for a Pikachuu around here, but so far I've been having terrible luck. Have you seen any?"

Red looked puzzled. He had heard of it before. It was quiet a popular Pokemon. But he had never seen any on his trek through the forest.

"No," he said with a sad smile. "But I promise to let you know if I-"

His words were cut short again as a crackling sound echoed through the trees. Some of the nearby caterpillars inched their way to their sanctuaries in fear. Red motioned for Blue and Mystery to follow him. The crackling was growing louder as they walked towards it. It sounded almost like an electrical discharge. Could that mean…?

"Look!" whispered Blue.

Before a large oak tree, a cluster of shiny, golden pupae (ironically named Cocoon) were lashing out with outstretched barbs at something yellow. This yellow thing was a mouse with large, pointed ears, red cheeks, and a lightning-shaped tail. It was a Pikachuu. Its cheeks began to spark up and the Cocoons were peppered with electrical impulses. They didn't seem too fazed by it, however.

Blue hid behind a nearby tree, looking anxiously from the electric mouse to Red. "Should we help him?" she asked. "I don't wanna get hurt.

"Do you have any Pokemon with you?" Red asked with raised eyebrows. Blue pulled out a Monster Ball. "Good. Then we can help him. There's about eight of them. They shouldn't be a problem."

"Ok… Come out, Pix!" One of the Monster Balls was thrown out to reveal…

"You have a Polygon?" asked Red in excitement and envy.

"I was the first to win one. Okay Pix, do what you can to get those pupae away from the poor Pikachu." The virtual Pokemon nodded and turned to the Cocoons. It bowled them over rather easily, as did Mystery. One of them extended the barbs that were folded across its chest and tried to swipe at Mystery, but it missed. It was then subdued by another body blow by Pix. All the other pupae were hopping away in defeat.

Red knelt by the Pikachu and sprayed some ointment on its wounds. "Hey, you okay, little guy?" The Pikachuu nodded in response. It seemed pretty hardy, despite all the damage it took. Once he was done, he got up and turned to Blue. "Well, I guess you can go ahead and catch him."

Blue shook her head. "I can catch another one. Besides, you were the one that helped it. You catch it."

Catch a Pikachuu? This easily? He asked the rodent if he was okay with this, and was answered by a nod. Red pulled out a Monster Ball from within his bag and tossed it. Pikachu was enveloped in smoke. The two halves of the capsule split apart and concealed the smoke at once, landing with a clunk to the ground. It shook once. Twice. Thrice. Then it clicked shut. Pikachuu was his.

"Another Pokemon for my team," said Red as he picked up the Monster Ball. "I'll name him Ryan. So you said you were going to Masara Town?"

Blue nodded. "How many Pokemon does Dr. Ohkido have left? Do you know?"

"Just one. It's a Zenigame." Upon hearing that name, her eyes lit up.

"I've always wanted one!" she said excitedly, jumping slightly on the spot. "Is it strong?"

Red smirked. "Well, my rival probably taught him how to fire a Freezing Beam or Hydro Pump, so who knows." He pocketed Ryan and looked up through the trees. The sky was still a bright blue. This reminded him of a question that was bugging him. "Say, you wouldn't have to know the time, do you?"

The Porygon she had made some odd blipping noises. "It's 12:40. Why?"

"Nothing," said Red with a smile. "Just felt like it was later. I hope to see you again, Blue."

"You too, Sato-kun," she said with a wink. As she turned to walk away, Red's face burned his namesake color. He had a reason why. Nobody, not even Nanami or that cute girl from school with the pig tails he used to like, had ever called him Sato-kun. His brain was going into overdrive while he stood rooted to the spot. Did she like him? They just met just a few minutes ago.

He would have to think about this later. He thought her heard an angry buzzing of about eight Spears heading his way.

* * *

Reviews accepted, no flames, blah blah blah. You get the idea.

Notes:

-I chose the name Ayako by going to Bulbapedia and checking the optional names for Leaf. And that was the first one on there that was a normal name.


End file.
